Conference, Creatively
Four ways to watch and listen to General Conference with art in hand
Ryan Snarr
Conference Sketches - April 2026
Non-photo blue pencil on Ivory 47lb. text weight paper, 15 x 9.75 inches
Artist’s website
For many, General Conference is a weekend of traditions. Family time, cinnamon rolls, spiritual high points, and contemplating questions. If you’re looking for a fresh approach to your conference weekend (or trying to fend off the second-session-snooze), here are four ideas for bringing a little creativity to your living room while you watch.
DRAW: Doodle Your Notes
Who says notes have to be words? Sketch the speakers, illustrate a phrase that stays with you, or fill the margins with your own interpretation of the topics.
Illustrator and designer Ryan Snarr's tradition of conference sketching began in 2008. “I was singing in the Tabernacle Choir at the time and sketching kept me from dozing off in the choir loft and ready for the next song we'd be performing,” he writes. He still keeps it up, mostly drawing the twelve apostles and First Presidency to focus and remembers details about the talks. “And it still does help keep me from dozing off.”
MAKE: Keep Your Hands Busy
Pair your focus on conference with a meditative creative task. Embroider, scrapbook, collage, press flowers, or practice calligraphy while you watch—or go audio-only with conference and move your body too.
Legos, friendship bracelets, air-dry clay, and origami are all kid-friendly versions of the same idea.
COLLECT: Build a Mood Board
As you listen, gather art and images that remind you of each talk: a painting, a photograph, a color, a texture. By Sunday afternoon you'll have a visual record of what moved you. (Need a head start? We shared a few examples on Instagram. Take a look.)
WRITE: Compile a Found Poem
When a phrase or quote jumps out at you, jot it down on a single journal page. When conference ends, read your lines together and connect them with a few words of your own. What's left is a poem made of the moments you’ll want to remember the most.
If you do swap your lined notebook for a sketchbook, a mood board, or embroidery thread, share your conference creations with us! Tag us on Instagram at @centerforldsarts so we can admire them with you.
